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Message: <blockquote data-quote="EzekielRaiden" data-source="post: 9468426" data-attributes="member: 6790260">A great irony I like to mention to folks who have certain strong opinions about certain things:I have run away from more combats in 4e than any other edition of D&D, despite it being the edition of D&D that I have played the least. And that's even if you separate 3.X from Pathfinder as though they were different games. And the simple reason is, I knew I could survive running away, I knew how clearly outmatched the party had become, and I knew that the costs of pursuing total victory were not worthwhile.I would fully support their choice and talk with them about what they want to do. I would actively avoid being punitive or harsh with any initial consequences unless the players/PCs already knew the consequences would have to be severe. E.g. "we're rescuing a friendly NPC from their scheduled execution" is....not gonna go well for the friendly NPC if they just abandon them there.I am a huge believer in the idea that DMs teach players to behave in specific ways through how they give consequences, good and bad, to player choices. So, for example, if an NPC begs for mercy and promises not to do further harm to the PCs, I have never once had such an NPC betray their promise. Likewise, if the PCs ever begged for mercy from genuinely persuadable NPCs (e.g. not raving cultists or otherwise people who cannot be reasoned with), those NPCs would honor that request and expect to not be betrayed.Not because I'm totally against ever doing such things, mind, but because I know that if I do that excessively, I will be teaching my players, "Mercy is a sucker's game, it always hurts you more than it helps you, so you should never show mercy, and your enemies certainly won't." It's straight up teaching them to be murder-hobos. I don't want murder-hobos. I want players who think critically about the moral and personal costs of their choices. That means these choices need to be worth making.Anyway, back to running away: Support their choices. Give them reasonable risks and consequences, but be gentle especially if they're only on the first or second ever retreat. They'll strongly take to heart any lessons you teach, intentionally or accidentally, during those early experiences. Show them that "live to fight another day" is a valid tactic, that discretion really can be the better part of valor, etc.Teach your players to play the way you want them to play, and you will find them eagerly working with you to make the game experience you want them (and yourself!) to have.</blockquote>

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